The very first thing that AJ noticed when he woke was that whatever he was laying on was very soft. It also was not a bed. After a second he recognized it, and knew exactly where he was. His lips curved in a smile even before his eyes opened. God bless Brian. His lover knew him so well. No one else but Brian would have made sure he was brought here, to this tower top. It had become special for them since their joining ceremony. There were traces of them still here, leftover from the lovemaking on that night.
That thought made his smile grow even more.
“A penny for your thoughts.”
The sound of that voice, above all others, had AJ’s smile going full bloom. He kept his eyes closed as a familiar weight settled down next to him. Instead of saying anything, AJ snuggled back against it, feeling Brian chuckle as he did. “Feeling better, song of my heart?” his lover whispered into his ear, sliding one arm over AJ’s side. In response AJ took hold of that hand and pulled it up, wrapping it more securely to him and snuggling completely into Brian’s embrace.
For the first time in what seemed like weeks AJ finally felt as if his energy was back again. He gently tested those magical channels inside of himself and found all of them well and truly healed. His center was glowing brightly, full of its own natural energy. There was no trace of any of the pain that he’d felt when he’d fallen into unconsciousness. A quick assessment showed that not a single injury marred the outside or the inside of his body.
Content with that, and with where he was, AJ rolled over to bury himself against Brian’s chest. He hummed lightly at discovering that Brian wore no tunic. Sliding his leg up and between Brian’s legs, he hummed even more. His lover wasn’t wearing anything at all, and from the feel of it, neither was he.
Brian must have felt his surprise and enjoyment at that, because he chuckled lightly and kissed AJ’s forehead. “You needed direct contact with nature. Plus, your clothes were mostly ruined. As for me, well, I have to admit that the feeling of the sun on my skin is wonderful. Vitalizing. I needed a bit of my energy replenished as well, so this was just easier all around.”
Sliding that leg further up, AJ dipped his mouth down and trace along Brian’s collarbone, showing him without words how very much he enjoyed lying like this. His lover shivered, making AJ smile even more. He nipped at the skin at Brian’s neck while slowly starting to move his leg against that sensitive spot. He heard Brian gasp in a breath. Then those wonderful hands were stroking over him, down over his hip and around to cup him and pull him close. It was AJ’s turn to gasp as their arousals pressed against one another.
Still he didn’t speak. It was as if he thought that by speaking he would break the magic of the moment. Right then he wasn’t thinking about politics, or war, or anything else. All of his attention was focused on his lover and the sensation of being close with him. It seemed that they rarely got to be like this anymore. Always someone wanted their attention. Always someone wanted to talk with them, or needed their help, or needed them to fix something.
Right now no one knew that he was awake, and that meant that most likely no one was going to disturb them. He was determined to take full advantage of it. So, apparently, was Brian, because his love was tipping his head up and kissing him with all the passion that he felt. Those sensations echoed back to him in the bond, turning him on even more.
Very gently AJ rolled over, laying his body across Brian’s. That left him free to fall into their kiss. To roll his hips as he had been moving his leg. It was slowly building the passion higher and higher for them. They were in no rush. Hands moved over skin, tracing over all those familiar spots, soothing themselves with one another’s presence.
When Brian shifted, letting AJ slide between his legs, it was the most natural thing in the world. They broke their kiss to stare in one another’s eyes as AJ shifted until he found the right position and began to slide inside. It had been so long that AJ kept his movements slow and easy. He saw pain tighten the corners of Brian’s eyes. Yes, it had been way too long. Once he was fully in they had to stay still for a minute as Brian’s body adjusted to the intrusion.
AJ leaned down and gave him a kiss as sweet and gentle as can be. The kiss Brian gave back was full of love. Their passion wasn’t an all-consuming blaze this time, but the nice warmth of a steady burn. There was no edge of roughness, no need to make the best of the time they had. They had all the time in the world for this. To touch, and taste, and feel.
The kiss changed. AJ could feel, both in the kiss and in the bond, that Brian was ready for movement. His body had adjusted from that ache of pain to the ache of need. Ever so slowly AJ started to move his hips, sliding out almost all the way before pushing back in as far as he could go. He set an easy pace that was designed to drive them both mad.
Brian gasped and arched, breaking from their kiss to let his head fall back into the moss. His hands slid up, running through AJ’s hair, letting it make a curtain around them. He ran his fingers through it before bringing his hands up to cup AJ’s face and bring him down for another kiss. That low fire in them was slowly growing, spreading in their veins until they felt as if they were glowing with the power of it.
Still AJ kept his pace slow, enjoying watching the fever grow in Brian’s eyes. Loving the way that Brian arched underneath him, and the moans that dripped from his lips. Here, Brian lost all inhibitions. The elf in him came out, and he embraced his passionate side. It was extremely erotic, and flattering, to know that he could drive him to this point. Even more so that he was the only one Brian was ever this open with.
Adjusting, AJ started to roll his hips at a different angle, knowing that it was one that Brian loved. Soon the two of them were both moaning and gasping. Even though not a cloud was in the sky, rain started to fall lightly even while the sun seemed to shine off their skin. Brian’s breath started to hitch in a way that AJ knew meant he was close. He could feel his own breathing growing more ragged as the fire burned brighter and hotter inside of them.
Suddenly the light around them seemed to grow brighter. Twin screams echoed around in the air as the two men reached that peak together, and were flung off the edge.
The rain continued to mist them even as they lay twined together in the afterglow. AJ sighed, stretching slightly before curling back in against his lover. He didn’t bother chasing the rain away. It felt good against his skin. Soothing. The contentment in the bond told him that Brian felt the same. So, it continued to mist them softly.
Neither of them spoke. They were beyond words. For that moment all they needed was one another, and the bond opened wide to share heart and soul. How long they laid there they had no idea. But suddenly they could hear that someone was coming up the stairs that led to the trap door.
Lazily AJ looked over, slightly curious as to who would be disturbing them with the obvious magical currents in the air. He didn’t bother moving, though, and neither did Brian. Lying on his back, with one arm behind his head and one knee pulled up, Brian was totally on display. AJ was twined against him, one leg thrown over Brian’s leg that was straight out, one arm underneath himself, and the other thrown over Brian’s waist. His hair was fanned out over them, partially on him, and partially out behind him. The arm that Brian had tucked under AJ’s head was moving lightly as Brian stroked his lover’s hair.
Whoever was coming was sure to get an eyeful. No more than they deserved, either, for stepping in where the aura was obviously sex. Plus, he was really quite comfortable where he was. They could just deal with it.
As the trapdoor started to open, AJ caught a feel of the magic of who it was. If he’d been paying more attention, and had been more alert, he would have recognized who it was right off the bat. Right behind the first he also realized that there was another. AJ knew his eyes would be glowing, not only with magic but with amusement and that delicious after-sex feeling. Brian’s sure were.
Howie’s head poked out the top of the tower, one hand coming up to shield his head from the water that was falling. “Brian?” he called quietly. In that second AJ realized that they didn’t know he was awake, and that they hadn’t sensed the magic being worked up here. He looked up to Brian curiously, and his lover smiled. ‘I shielded us before you even woke up. Just in case you had a nightmare or something. That way it wouldn’t leak to the whole castle.’
With a small grin, AJ snuggled back in and looked over to where Howie was stepping out the door. The mist must have made it hard for him to see at first, because he didn’t look to them until Flreu had already cleared the door and was shutting it. About then was when Howie saw them. His eyes widened and his face flushed bright red in the instant it took before he turned and put his back to them. “Jesus, guys, a little warning next time!” he grumbled.
Flreu looked at his grandsons and simply threw his head back to laugh loud and long. “I see that there’s no need to ask if you are well!” he boomed out cheerfully. “My heart song always said that she knew I was well when I came to make another child with her.”
Chuckling, AJ snuggled in closer, his eyes barely open. He didn’t speak still, but relished in the comfort of Brian’s arms. Brian chuckled and grinned up at Flreu. “Pardon him, honored grandfather. He’s enjoying his laziness quite thoroughly and has yet to decide to break the moment by speaking.”
From where he still stood with his back to them, Howie called out “Well, with you awake, Alyck, we do need to talk.”
A slightly annoyed look crossed Brian’s face. “Can’t he even have a little bit to wake up before you start slamming him with business?” he snapped out.
With a reluctant sigh, AJ shifted against Brian’s body and kissed him into silence. Apparently his moment of love and privacy was gone. Time to cast of being just Alyck and take up the role of trulion again. First things first, he looked to Flreu. “Greetings, honored grandfather.” He said as respectfully as possible. Flreu gave him a grin and a half bow. “Greetings, honored grandson.” He returned.
Next AJ shifted his eyes to where Howie stood. “What is so important, Howi, that you came up here hoping to talk to me without even knowing if I was awake yet?” There was no censure in his voice, but he saw Howie flinch all the same.
“People have been scrambling to try to change plans, and adjust to everything that Roth knows, and fights are breaking out everywhere. We’ve been trying to quell things down as best as we can, but none of us have real authority over them. King Flreu here has some, as this is his domain, but in the areas that you’ve given each one of them, they follow their own rules there. The imps and the faeries are fighting about their places to attack now. The centaurs are arguing over grazing areas with the satyrs. A group of nymphs have ticked off the merfolk by trying to take up too much of the ocean shore as their own…”
The list seemed endless. AJ gave another sigh and lazily stretched his body. Rolling his head a little to stretch out the muscles in his neck, he pushed away from his lover, giving his body one last, lingering look. The reluctance was obvious in his face, and it had Flreu laughing again.
As AJ looked around and Brian sat up next to him, they both realized that the rain had drenched their only clothes. About the only things of theirs that were dry were their weapons, protected underneath a blanket of moss. “Well, hell. Howie, would you go get us some clothes? Soon as I’m dressed I’ll head down and see what I can do.”
Almost grateful for a reason to run off, Howie scurried down the trapdoor, leaving it clanging shut behind him. AJ couldn’t help but smile at his friends embarrassment. Both he and Brian were perfectly content to be as they were. Though, months ago, Brian would never have been that comfortable with this. But he was becoming enough elf now that it didn’t matter so much to him.
Looking up at his grandfather, AJ tossed his hair back and smiled. “I think it’s safe to say we embarrassed our friend, don’t you agree, grandfather?”
The only response he got was a laugh.